Rule forcing Toronto landlords to offer air conditioning kicks in next month

With Toronto summers seemingly getting hotter every year, a new rule is set to give apartment tenants without proper air conditioning some much-needed relief.

A new City of Toronto bylaw aimed at improving protection from extreme heat is set to take effect next month, requiring landlords to provide tenants with access to a cooled indoor space during the summer months.

This comes at a crucial time, as heat waves in Toronto have been intensifying, raising real concerns about heat safety, especially in older buildings that lack modern cooling systems or necessary upgrades to keep temperatures down.

Beginning June 1, 2026, apartment buildings enrolled in the RentSafeTO program that do not provide in-unit air conditioning will be required to ensure tenants still have access to a cooled indoor space during scorching hot weather.

This means that landlords of eligible apartment buildings that don't offer A/C must ensure indoor amenities and common spaces (hallways, lobbies, gyms, laundry rooms) used as a cooling area are maintained at 26 C or lower between June 1 and September 30.

The city already has temperature standards in place for rental housing. Landlords must maintain a minimum of 21 C in units from October 1 to May 15 every year.

If a rental unit has A/C, it must be operated in the summer so indoor temperatures do not exceed 26 C. Landlords are also required to repair or replace broken systems and keep existing A/Cs in good working order. However, it's important to note that landlords are not required to install an A/C unit if it does not already exist.

Window air conditioning units are allowed in apartment buildings, and property owners are responsible for ensuring they are installed and maintained safely, according to the City.

If you're a tenant, it's important to know your rights. Landlords must inform tenants of the location and hours of the cooling area. The City also states that if a landlord provides A/C and it breaks down, they are required to repair or replace it. It's a pretty straightforward expectation, but one worth remembering heading into another hot summer.

The city says this new bylaw is meant to ensure tenants without air conditioning till have access to relief during heat waves.

In addition to that, the City has also brought back the Air Conditioner Assistance Program in 2026, this time giving away 1,000 free portable A/C units to low-income apartment dwellers. 

And there's something else tenants should know, as the Heating Bylaw gets renamed to Indoor Temperature Standards Bylaw on June 1.

Landlords still have to keep rental units at a minimum of 21 C from October 1 to May 15, but during those in-between months (temperatures in Toronto are known to  swing a lot during this period), they are not required to keep the heat running. So if it's naturally around 21 C indoors, they're allowed to turn the heat down or even off upon a tenant's request.